Fighting Illness With Positivity
Grandma, Me, and Our Battle
What Women Want When They're Sad
Is there any point in looking all this stuff up?
Morning already...
Was that...
Sorry, I'll have to make this quick.
I know I called you out here, but...
Sumi-chan wants you to help her practice again.
Saturday, 10 AM, at the stairs by the Shinagawa Princess entrance.
Are you free?
Wait, what? Sumi-chan?
Keep spacing out and life will pass you by.
Were you even listening?
Too much information, too quickly.
Not really, sorry.
Sumi-chan wants you to help her practice again.
Saturday, 10 AM, outside the Shinagawa Princess. Okay?
Uh, sure...
But Shinagawa at 10 AM? That's early.
It seems she has some schedule planned out.
She said you couldn't miss 11:30.
What's that about?
Beats me.
Anyway, I'll let her know.
Hey, wait.
Isn't that good enough?
Are you, uh... okay?
That question again?
Well, I mean...
Like I said, I did everything I could for Grandma.
Only fools look back on the past with regret.
Damn, she's strong!
Not that it's anything new
What about you? Things okay with Ruka-chan?
Huh? Ruka-chan?
Yes. You two suddenly started acting weird at the party.
Managing, I guess.
Really? Good to hear.
Anyway, have fun.
I-I'll try.
Mizuhara sure was in a rush.
Guess she has a lot to deal with, given her grandma's condition.
Yet here she is, looking out for Ruka-chan and Sumi-chan.
Is she okay, then?
But... she can't be.
Shinagawa Station
What am I supposed to do?
Is it really the right time for this?
I mean, dates with Sumi-chan have always been super fun.
But shouldn't I be thinking about what I can do for Mizuhara and Granny Sayuri?
Besides, what even is this schedule Sumi-chan planned out?
That said, a favor for Sumi-chan is a favor for Mizuhara.
I'll focus on being the practice partner today!
Oh, hey, Sumi-chan!
Huh?
Wha?
What?!
Rent-a-Girlfriend
A uniform?
"Guide and Girlfriend"
Is that a school uniform?
Ah... Good morning.
O-Okay.
Hold up, what's going on here?
The date's begun, but why a school uniform?
Is it part of the experience?
Sorry, there's been a miscommunication.
I didn't hear anything from Mizuhara, so I dressed normally.
Huh? That's not it?
It's just for her?
Then seriously, what is it?
Cosplay?
She just felt like it?
She's cute!
Not that I mind...
Should I ask her?
D-Do you wear uniforms often?
I just thought you liked school uniforms, Kazuya-kun
Huh?
What? Me, like uniforms?
blush...
Wha? What gave her that idea?
I certainly don't dislike them.
Ah, I see! But I don't know...
I feel like she casually branded me a pervert...
What gave her that impression?
Oh...
W-Wait a second, you saw Mizuhara and me at the theme park?!
Kill me now!
I see now.
She assumed I liked uniforms because she saw that I'd made Mizuhara wear one.
A series of small explosions
Wait, so she wore this for me?
An "Oceanic Theme Park," combining aquarium and theme park, that both kids and adults can enjoy!
And we're at Aqua Wonderful World Shinagawa!
An aquarium...
Did Mizuhara tell her that I like fish?
But it could be a coincidence...
I wanted to...
I wanted to guide you today, Kazuya-kun.
G...
Guide me?!
A guide plan drawn up by Sumi-chan?!
ba-dump ba-dump
What's gonna happen here?
Whoa, a pirate ship ride!
Never seen one in an aquarium!
Is she taking the lead and showing me fun stuff?
I gotta make sure I don't embarrass her.
Plomp ♥
You okay, Sumi-chan? Are you not feeling well?
Huh? It's not that?
RUMBLE
Wait, what the hell?!
G-Guess I should sit down.
Wha... A penguin?!
Hanami Penguin
So cute!
I see. So she knew about this.
Talk about my way or the highway, though.
Her lack of communication skill makes her hard to predict, too.
Thoughtful Sta. -> Escort Sta.
Sakurasawa
Sumi-chan's Guide Express has left the station!
Stomp Stomp
She asks for a lot from her partner!
Where to next?
A merry-go-round?
A date classic, sure...
Hold up! Her face is beet red!
She's totally forcing herself!
Even I'm blushing at how close we're sitting!
Perfectly Aligned
Oh, here we go.
But hey, this actually might be fun.
Thighs!
That's what you get for wearing a uniform!
FWOP
Dying inside
Stops on the Schedule: Photograph
Where did you even get that?
She's so quiet, it's easy to lose sight of her!!
Aquarium Coffee Shop
Hot! Hot!
Huh? Moving on already?
It's one surprise after another.
Am I really "enjoying" this?
Isn't she looking tired, too?
The itinerary is too strict!
Is the whole date gonna be like this?
Wow, the underwater tunnel!
A sight to behold!
Whoa, a sawfish!
Around four meters long?
I can't believe they grow to twice that size!
Wow, a manta ray, too!
You really can see them without going to Okinawa, huh?
Yikes!
I got too hyped and let loose my trivia again! Cringe!
R-Really? You enjoyed that?
Her eyes are sparkling!
She might be a natural at this job.
She's cute and a hard worker.
Plus, she's trying to help me have a good time...
This is undeniable progress.
Ooh!
The dolphin show stadium!
I've always wanted to come here!
Dolphin Show
She said you couldn't miss 11:30.
I see! So that was for the dolphin show!
She must've prepped so hard for today.
I really wanted to see this...
Maybe I should relax a little and enjoy this.
Thank you for joining us at Aqua Wonderful World Shinagawa's dolphin show.
Shall we take a seat over there?
Please note that guests sitting in the front row
should expect to get soaked from head to toe during the show.
I've got this!
We ask for your understanding.
Rent-a-Girlfriend
A dolphin show, huh?
I think I begged my dad to take me way back when.
But our family was so busy, it never happened.
Kibe Yoshiaki
Dolphin show? Take your GF. If you have one...
And I never had a girl I could come with.
And now I'm here with this total cutie pie.
Long live rental girlfriends!
Welcome back, Sumi-chan.
Oh, drinks?
Thanks! Let me pay you back.
What a guide!
Huh? Oh, you wanna sit over there?
But why? Did she not like those seats?
Why move back?
Can't do without a backrest?
Ah, I see!
Water gets all the way there?
Yeah, I didn't bring a change of clothes.
It'd suck if I got drenched.
Whew, close call!
Wait, did she come here in advance to check it out?
Sumi-chan's incredible!
Let the show begin!
Wow!
So high!
H-How does that even work?
Oh, man! Look at that, Sumi-chan!
Ba-dump Ba-dump
Yeah! Go for it!
That was over in an instant.
His heart has been healed
Humans and animals in perfect harmony... Bravo.
All animal movies make him cry
Wasn't that the best, Sumi-chan?
It's splash time!
Wonder's coming to get you!
Splash?
Holy crap. Those kids are having so much fun.
Whew, that was a close call.
We would've been drenched if Sumi-chan hadn't spoken up...
What?! It still happened!
Why? This wasn't how it was supposed to go!
Splash Splash
The fifth row should've been safe!
Wonder's in top form today!
It depends on Wonder's mood?!
Okay, this calls for changing.
Sumi-chan's even more soaked than I am!
Y-Y-Y-You okay, Sumi-chan?!
Steam Steam
Soaked
N-Nope, her brain's completely fried!
D-Damn summer uniform...
H-Here, put this on!
I saw nothing! Nothing at all!
Sorry...
I'm sorry.
Sumi-chan?
Oh... She must feel like she failed as a guide.
panic panic
Sorry. This is a first for me.
Stuff like this is what makes dolphin shows great.
Don't worry. I'm having a really great time.
Besides...
You're so cute, Sumi-chan.
You make the best guide just by having fun.
Wonder if they sell T-shirts at the store. And towels, too.
Where to next?
We need to change, or I can't even look at her.
...crushing on you...
Huh?
Excuse us.
Sorry, Sumi-chan. Did you say something?
We... We're crushing it.
Huh? Crushing it?
Oh, we're on track with our schedule?
That's great. Anyway, let's get changed.
We can't go anywhere in this state.
ba-dump ba-dump
Phew. I'm glad they were selling T-shirts nearby.
That's a dangerous look in itself!
She looks like a high schooler at a school festival.
The added casualness is deadly!
Wait, what am I thinking?
At least it's not see-through anymore.
fidget fidget
Let's get going, shall we?
Wow, so pretty.
It's all lit up.
It's a super romantic spot, the perfect date finale.
Yeah. I'll take a seat, too.
Odaiba, huh? I've never been here before.
So this is the last stop on the Sakurasawa Express.
Started off with a school uniform,
went to an aquarium,
and now these night lights...
She even scouted it all out beforehand.
It's awfully devoted of her. Why go so far?
Just professionalism?
Let's head back to the hotel.
Pick up some strong booze on the way.
Wha?!
Smooch
Is this what Odaiba's like at night?
Den of Normies
Ahaha
Horny couples everywhere!
And Sumi-chan's blushing up a storm!
Th-This is so awkward for a rental couple!
Huh? Did she just scoot this way?
Why, Sumi-chan? Why?!
Ka...
F l i n c h
Kazuya-kun...
Wh-What's up, Sumi-chan? Do you wanna leave?
Huh? What now? What was that head shake for?
She doesn't wanna leave?
Out with it, Sumi-chan. Why are you blushing so much?
Whatever it is, it must be hard to say!
Dun Dun Dun
Did she bring me here for a reason?
I wanted to guide you.
Her, of all people?!
But I can't not be conscious of her here!
Happy... birthday.
F-For me?
Thanks. Can I open it?
Sumi-chan got me a birthday present?
I wanna know your birthday, Kazuya-kun.
She remembered that?
A summer knit hat? Wow, so stylish!
Can I really pull this off?
Sorry I had those horny fantasies, Sumi-chan!
I see!
She took the lead today as a birthday gift!
Mission accomplished. Content.
Her way of helping me celebrate, all while practicing.
What an angel.
Just... how good a gal are you?!
But man, Sumi-chan's really grown by leaps and bounds.
I mean, she couldn't even greet me at first.
When she showed up in uniform and started talking about guiding me,
I wasn't sure what to expect.
But in the end, I had so much fun.
I've made some real progress!
Isn't that good enough?
I'm the only one still stuck in place.
Something wrong?
Yikes! I let it show!
Maybe I could tell her...
No, I can't! Mizuhara might want to keep it from her!
Nothing... It's nothing.
Please talk to me.
It's my turn to play the role of the wall.
Sumi-chan...
I can't shrug it off when she's looking at me like that!
She's such a nice girl!!
sparkle sparkle
And she talked so much just now!
Sure, it's part of a rental GF's job to offer life advice,
but this is Mizuhara's problem! What do I do?!
It... It's about this friend of mine.
This friend's grandma fell really ill recently.
Well, she's always been kinda sick, but it's gotten worse.
The parents are gone, so the grandma's the only family my friend has.
They say they're fine, but they've gotta be hurting.
I mean, we're talking about family here.
I grew up in a family that shares everything,
so I never really gave it any thought.
How it would feel to have no family left...
It must be so painful, sad, and dispiriting.
But my friend has nobody to share the burden with.
It must be so crushingly lonely.
They've been an amazing friend to me.
Always been by my side during hard times,
and helped me out when I was in trouble.
And always cared about me and my family, even at their own lowest point.
Never abandoned me, this loser.
They have a dream, too.
To show their grandma that they were successful.
They've been working their butt off to make it come true,
all while working and going to college.
But if their grandma dies,
it'll never come true.
And even in these trying times, there's nothing I can do to help.
What are you crying for, idiot?!
Sorry to spring this on you, Sumi-chan.
F-Forget I said anything. Let's go home, yeah?
Sweat
S-Sorry! You okay?
Did I say something stupid?
Sumi-chan...
I know how you feel, Kazuya-kun!
Don't carry that weight alone!
I'm here with you!
Sumi-chan?
Sumi-chan didn't ask for any more details.
For a while, we just sat there listening to the ferry's whistle and crying.
The way she held my hand was not the way couples hold hands on a date.
It felt like she was telling me that
one didn't need to be family to share in the pain.
Dazed
My head hurts from how much I cried...
Sure.
Seriously, thanks for today, Sumi-chan.
I had no idea just talking about it would lighten the load so much.
And thanks for the hat, too!
You were the best guide I could've hoped for.
hnngh
See you.
Happy Happy
She's so dedicated...
Yeah, she's so cute.
Now, I gotta get my act together.
Superhit!
Camera of the Dead
Crowdfunded!!!
It's important to rely on others...
That's it! This is it!
I think I've found it!
What I can do for Mizuhara!
Kazuya-kun, how was I as a guide?
Just the best! Let's do it again, Sumi-chan!
Yep. I'll bring a change of clothes next time.
Hey! A change of clothes?!
What did you make Sumi-chan do?!
Mizuhara?!
You've got it all wrong! Right, Sumi-chan?!
Y-Yeah. It was the school uniform.
School uniform?! You. Step outside. Now.
B-Before that, next time on Rent-a-Girlfriend:
"Girlfriend and...
...Me."
Okay, let's go.
Watch the final episode, too!
"Girlfriend and Me"